Salt water ice making machine having cleaning pin



Dec. 13, 1966 L A. STILLER 3,290,895

I SALT WATER ICE MAKING MACHINE HAVING CLEANING PIN Filed Oct. 21, 1965INVENTOR. LEONARD A. STIILLER BY mm, W mam AT TORNE S United StatesPatent 3,290,896 SALT WATER ICE MAKING MACHINE HAVING CLEANING PINLeonard A. Stiller, Fort Lauderdale, Fla, assignor to Lasco Industries,Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a corporation of Florida Filed Oct. 21,1965, Ser. No. 499,815 Claims. (Cl. 62-320) This invention relates to anice making machine and refers more particularly to a machine for makingice from sea water.

The present invention provides an improved machine for making ice whichis particularly adapted for use on small fishing craft and similarinstallations. One objection to machines in present use for this purposeis that often there will develop an accumulation of ice which becomescaked in the region of the discharge or outlet, clogging or at leastreducing the efficiency of the machine. It is an essential object ofthis invention to provide a machine which overcomes this problem.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ice making machinehaving a rotatable member o erating in a cylindrical freezing chamber toremove ice from the chamber wall and deliver it to an outlet, and meanscarried by the rotatable member for breaking up the ice and preventing abuild-up of the same about the outlet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which therotatable member is an anger, and the means for breaking up the ice andpreventing a build-up of the same is a cleaning pin carried by theauger.

Another object is to provide a machine in which the pin has an axiallyextending portion adjacent the chamber wall so located as to sweepacross the outlet.

Another object is to provide a deflecting member having an annularfrusto-conical surface within and concentric with the freezing chamberadjacent the axially outer side of the outlet, and a cylindrical surfaceconcentric with the chamber wall extending axially inwardly from theradially inner extremity of the frustoconical surface in radiallyinwardly spaced relation to the outlet.

Another object of the invention is to provide the cleaning pin with anaxially extending portion between the cylindrical surface of thedeflecting member and the chamber wall so as to sweep across the outletupon rotation of the auger.

Another object is to provide the axially extending portion of the pinwith a terminal surface adjacent to and inclined at substantially thesame angle as the frustoconical surface of the deflecting member.

Another object is to provide a machine in which the deflecting memberserves as a bearing for the outer end portion of the auger.

The single figure of the drawing is a central vertical sectional view ofa machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the machine is generally designated by thereference numeral 11 and includes a vertical cylinder 12 the interior ofwhich defines a freezing chamber 13. This cylinder is preferably formedof metal having a relatively high heat conductivity.

An auger 14 is disposed within the freezing chamber in concentricrelation therewith. The lower end of the auger has a reduced portion 16which projects through the bottom wall 18 of the cylinder. A belt 20extends over a pulley secured on the lower end 16 of the auger and isdriven by a suitable means, not shown, to rotate the auger. A bearing 22on the bottom wall 13 of the cylinder supports the lower reduced endportion 16 of the auger for rotation.

The auger has a main body portion or shaft portion 24 3,293,895 PatentedDec. 13, 1966 which is cylindrical, and a helical rib 26 is provided onthe shaft portion and extends throughout the full length thereof. Therib 26 extends close to the cylindrical wall 28 of the freezing chamberto scrape ice formed thereon and elevate it for discharge through theoutlet 27 near the upper end of the cylinder.

Projecting upwardly from the shaft portion 24 of the auger is anintermediate cylindrical portion 32 of smaller diameter than the shaftportion. A cylindrical end portion 34 of still smaller diameter projectsupwardly from the portion 32. These portions 32 and 34 areconcentrically arranged with respect to the shaft portion 24.

The upper bearing cage 36 is a tubular cylindrical member the lower endof which is disposed adjacent the upper end of the shaft portion 24 ofthe auger. The lower portion of the bearing cage is designated 38. Itsouter cylindrical surface 40 is of substantially the same diameter asthe shaft portion 24. As shown, the outlet 27 through the cylinder wallis opposite the cylindrical surface 40. The inner cylindrical surface ofthe lower portion 38 encircles the portion 32 of the auger, permittingfree rotation thereof.

The outer cylindrical surface 43 of the upper portion 44 of the bearingcage 36 is of substantially the same outside diameter as the chamberwall 28 and fits snugly therein. A radially outwardly extending annularflange 46 on the upper end of the bearing cage rests upon the upper endof cylinder 12. A nut 50 threads upon the upper end of the cylinder andhas an inwardly extending annular flange 52 which engages the flange 46of the upper bearing cage and clamps it tightly against the upper end ofcylinder 12, preventing the upper bearing cage from rotating.

A hearing surrounds the top portion 34 of the auger and has an annularouter race 62 resting upon the shoulder 64 within the upper bearingcage. This shoulder 64 connects the smaller diameter cylindrical surface66 and the larger diameter cylindrical surface 68. The bearing occupiesthe space in the upper bearing cage surrounded by the cylindricalsurface 63 and may be installed by insertion through the open upper endthereof.

The inner race 70 of the bearing closely surrounds the upper reducedportion 34 of the auger and rests on the shoulder 72 separating theportions 32 and 34 of the auger. The inner race of the bearing isclamped upon shoulder 72 by the head of a bolt 76 threaded into theupper end of the auger. The opening in the top of nut 50 permits accessto the bolt. Washer 78 is disposed between the bolt head and the innerrace. arate the races to permit free rotation of the inner race andauger.

The freezing chamber is cooled by a freezing coil 86 which extendshelically around the outer surface of cylinder 12. A suitable coolantsuch as freon from a compressor, n t shown, is flowed through thefreezing coil, entering through pipe 81 and expansion valve 82 andreturning to the compressor by way of the pipe 83.

Salt water is conducted through the inlet pipe to the precooling coil 32which surounds the lower portion of the freezing coil. The outlet pipe94 from the lower end of the precooling coil then enters the freezingchamber at the lower end through the inlet 96. The precooling coil 92preferably is separated from the freezing coil by a thin insulationstrip of cylindrical form designated 98. Accordingly the salt water isprecooled before it enters the freezing chamber, but the insulationstrip prevents the salt water from becoming frozen and clogging in theprecooling coil.

The coolant in the freezing coil is preferably at a temperature suchthat the interior of the chamber is maintained at about -50 P. which isa sufiiciently low tem- Balls sepperature to freeze salt waterrelatively rapidly. The salt water is conducted into the freezingchamber through the inlet 96 and on contact with the wall 28 of thefreezing chamber it rapidly changes into a slush which is elevatedthrough the freezing chamber by the blade or rib 26 of the auger fordischarge in a chipped or flaked, but solid state, through the outlet27. Chute 1110 leads from out let 27 to a suitable collection bin.

The upper bearing cage has a frusto-conical surface 102 which connectsthe outer cylindrical surfaces 40 and 43 of the bearing cage 36. Thisfrusto-conical surface flares radially outwardly in an upward directionand at its outer extremity is in contact with the wall 28 of thefreezing chamber. The frusto-conical surface 102 is located at about thelevel of the upper edge of the outlet 27. This surface 102 serves todeflect the chips of ice toward the discharge opening.

An upper chamber cleaning pin 110 is provided to prevent ice frombuilding up or caking on the bearing cage, particularly the surfaces 40and 102 thereof, and on the adjacent surfaces of the wall 28 of thefreezing chamber, particularly around the outlet 27. One end of the pinextends into the shaft portion 24 of the auger and is permanentlysecured thereto, and the exterior portion of the pin extends verticallyupward in the space between the surface 40 of the bearing cage and thewall 28 of the freezing chamber. When the auger rotates the pin 110sweeps across'the outlet 27 and breaks up any ice which may be cakedupon the adjacent surfaces of the freezing chamber and upper bearingcage.

In operation, the precooled salt water admitted to the freezing chamberat the lower end rapidly changes into a slush as it is advanced upwardlythrough the freezing chamber by the blade 26 of the rotating auger. Theauger chips and breaks the ice away from the freezing chamber andultimately it is discharged into the chute 100 through the outlet 27.The deflecting surface 102 causes the chipped ice to be deflected towardthe outlet, and the cleaning pin 110 breaks up any accumulated ice andin general prevents any substantial build-up of ice about the upperbearing cage and adjacent surfaces of the freezing chamber, particularlyaround the outlet 27.

The upper end surface 112 of the cleaning pin is beveled atsubstantially the same angle as the frusto-conical surface 102 to moreeffectively break up ice which may tend to build up on such surface.

A housing including a shell 115 and end plates 117 surrounds the unit,filled with insulation material 116.

While the machine is especially suited to make ice from salt or seawater, fresh water may also be used.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An ice making machine comprising an upright cylinder defining anelongated cylindrical freezing chamber therein, said cylinder having aninlet adjacent its lower end for the introduction of water to saidchamber, means for chilling said chamber to form ice on the wallthereof, said cylinder having an outlet adjacent the upper end thereoffor the discharge of ice formed on said chamber wall, an auger mountedin said chamber for rotation and having a helical rib for removing iceformed on said chamber wall and delivering the same axially toward saidoutlet, a combined bearing and ice deflecting member secured to saidcylinder within the upper end of said chamber and providing a bearingfor the upper end of said auger, said member having a lower portionpresenting a cylindrical surface opposite said outlet, said cylindricalsurface being of smaller diameter than said chamber wall and concentrictherewith to provide an annular space between said cylindrical surfaceand said chamber wall, said member having an outwardly and upwardlyflaring frusto-conical surface at the upper end of said cylindricalsurface extending outward to said chamber wall to deflect ice deliveredupwardly by said auger in an outward direction through said outlet, anda disintegrating member carried by and rotatable with said auger andextending into said annular space for breaking up and preventing anaccumulation of ice about said deflecting member and outlet.

2. The ice making machine defined in claim 1, wherein saidfrusto-conical surface at its outer extremity is located atapproximately the level of the upper extremity of said outlet.

3. The ice making machine as defined in claim 2, wherein saiddisintegrating member is a pin having a vertical terminal portionextending into said annular space so as to sweep across said outlet uponrotation of said auger.

4. The ice making machine defined in claim 3, wherein the upper end ofsaid pin is disposed closely adjacent to and is inclined atsubstantially the same angle as said frusto-conical surface.

5. An ice making machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said combinedbearing and ice deflecting member is tubular and has an upper portionabove said frustoconical surface in contact with said chamber wall, saidauger has an upper end portion of reduced diameter extending rotatablywithin said tubular member, and said tubular member has a bearingelement within said upper portion thereof rotatably receiving said upperend portion of said auger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,877,632 3/1959Chaplik et al. 62320 2,962,878 12/1960 Keller 62320 3,126,719 3/1964Swatsick 62-320 3,245,225 4/1966 Wallace 62320 FOREIGN PATENTS I 187,53110/1956 Austria.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ICE MAKING MACHINE COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT CYLINDER DEFINING ANELONGATED CYLINDRICAL FREEZING CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID CYLINDER HAVING ANINLET ADJACENT ITS LOWER END FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER TO SAIDCHAMBER, MEANS FOR CHILLING SAID CHAMBER TO FORM ICE ON THE WALLTHEREOF, SAID CYLINDER HAVING AN OUTLET ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOFFOR THE DISCHARGE OF ICE FORMED ON SAID CHAMBER WALL, AN AUGER MOUNTEDIN SAID CHAMBER FOR ROTATION AND HAVING A HELICAL RIB FOR REMOVING ICEFORMED ON SAID CHAMBER WALL AND DELIVERING THE SAME AXIALLY TOWARD SAIDOUTLET, A COMBINED BEARING AND ICE DEFLECTING MEMBER SECURED TO SAIDCYLINDER WITHIN THE UPPER END OF SAID CHAMBER AND PROVIDING A BEARINGFOR THE UPPER END OF SAID AUGER, SAID MEMBER HAVING A LOWER PORTIONPRESENTING A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OPPOSITE SAID OUTLET, SAID CYLINDRICALSURFACE BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID CHAMBER WALL AND CONCENTRICTHEREWITH TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACEAND SAID CHAMBER WALL, SAID MEMBER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLYFLARING FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE AT THE UPPER END OF SAID CYLINDRICALSURFACE EXTENDING OUTWARD TO SAID CHAMBER WALL TO DEFLECT ICE DELIVEREDUPWARDLY BY SAID AUGER IN AN OUTWARD DIRECTION THROUGH SAID OUTLET, ANDA DISINTEGRATING MEMBER CARRIED BY AND ROTATABLE WITH SAID AUGER ANDEXTENDING INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE FOR BREAKING UP AND PREVENTING ANACCUMULATION OF ICE ABOUT SAID DEFLECTING MEMBER AND OUTLET.